Liberals use time allocation to cut short debate on ATIP bill

The Liberal government moved a time allocation motion Tuesday to cut short the debate on its controversial proposed reforms to the federal Access to Information law.

Bill C-58 is at third reading stage. MPs voted 160-120 on the time allocation motion today.

Following the vote, Conservative MP Peter Kent said the Liberal government is “steamrolling” passage of C-58 using the legislative “guillotine” of time allocation, which restricts debate.

NDP MP and justice critic Murray Rankin told iPolitics that it’s “really ironic” a government would use time allocation to close down on debate on something that’s a “quasi constitutionally right in a democracy, the right to information.”

“To close debate on something as sensitive as this by a government that claims to be open, accountable and transparent is the supreme irony,” said Rankin, who called the bill “regressive”. “I wish they could withdraw it and start again.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau vowed in the 2015 federal election to modernize Canada’s Access to Information law and bring the offices of top government decision-makers within its scope. But his government has come under heavy criticism for failing to open up those offices to access requests in the bill Treasury Board President Scott Brison tabled in June. The bill has been widely panned for falling short of real reform and introducing new barriers for Canadians who want to access government records.

On Friday, Government House Leader Bardish Chagger provided notice of a time allocation motion on C-58.

“I would like to advise that an agreement could not be reached under the provisions of Standing Orders 78 (1) or 78 (2) with respect to the third reading stage of Bill C-58, an act to amend the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act and to make consequential amendments to other acts,” said Chagger.

“Under the provisions of Standing Order 78(3), I give notice that a minister of the Crown will propose at the next sitting a motion to allot a specific number of days or hours for the consideration and disposal of proceedings at the said stage.”

A spokesperson for Chagger, asked why the government was moving ahead with time allocation, said Monday the government “views this as an important bill.”

“We are proud to be the first government in 34 years to make major reforms to the Access to Information Act. For the first time, we are giving the Information Commissioner order-making power,” spokesperson Mark Kennedy wrote in an email. “Also for the first time, we are putting into law a system of proactive disclosure of information from ministers’ offices, ports, the administrative bodies that support the courts, and other government institutions. That is an advancement.”